


Fallout

by PandaTanks



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Fallout 3, Iron Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, M/M, Post Apocalypse, don't have to know the video game fallout 3 to read, fallout 3 au, may add more relationships later, takes place after nuclear war
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-30
Updated: 2014-12-01
Packaged: 2018-01-27 16:27:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1717103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PandaTanks/pseuds/PandaTanks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Growing up, Tony Stark’s world consisted only of what was inside the walls of Vault 101. If it weren't for his father he probably wouldn't have known there was an outside. Not that his father ever went out of his way to talk to him. Steve Rogers was born very sickly into a world where only the fit survive. He lived in a settlement called Megaton with his mother, who was a nurse. His mother did all she could to keep her son healthy and Steve survived when everyone thought he would die within a few weeks of birth.<br/>Even though they both come from different worlds their lives become intertwined after their meeting in the middle of a post-apocalyptic wasteland.</p><p>Fallout 3 AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I love the game Fallout 3 so I was inspired to make an Avengers AU  
> Enjoy
> 
> Also, you don't need to have played the game to understand what is happening because I try my best to fully explain everything. If you don't know what something is just message me and I'll explain.

War. War never changes.

Since the dawn of humankind, when our ancestors first discovered the killing power of rock and bone, blood has been spilled in the name of everything: from God to justice to simple, psychotic rage.

In the year 2077, after millennia of armed conflict, the destructive nature of man could sustain itself no longer. The world was plunged into an abyss of nuclear fire and radiation.

But it was not, as some had predicted, the end of the world. Instead, the apocalypse was simply the prologue to another bloody chapter of human history. For man had succeeded in destroying the world - but war, war never changes.

In the early days, thousands were spared the horrors of the holocaust by taking refuge in enormous underground shelters, known as vaults. But when they emerged, they had only the hell of the wastes to greet them - all except those in Vault 101. For on that fateful day, when fire rained from the sky, the giant steel door of Vault 101 slid closed... and never reopened. It was here you were born. It is here you will die.

Because, in Vault 101, no one ever enters, and no one ever leaves.

~~~

Growing up, Tony Stark’s world consisted only of what was inside the walls of Vault 101. If it weren't for his father he probably wouldn't have known there was an outside. Not that his father ever went out of his way to talk to him. Howard, his dad, always worked. Such a prominent man of science had little time for his son, and Tony found himself trying to get the attention from Howard that he craved so desperately. That’s why he started soaking up all the knowledge he could. He learned about the technologies his father was so obsessed with and started building his own little gadgets and robots. He soon became known around the vault for his computer hacking skills when he was only 9. He also started to read any nonfiction books he could get his hands on. Through these books he figured out about the outside world and the nuclear war that took place. That is what drove many people into the vaults and why those like the people of Vault 101 never came back out. It had been nearly 200 years since the war happened and the door has never been opened.

Until now.

“Wake up already! Tony!”

“Ugh, come on Pep. I just fell asleep,” Tony groaned and rolled over. He cracked an eye open and saw his red-headed friend Pepper standing over him and frowning.

“No wonder it took me so long to get you up. How long were you awake this time?” Pepper said with a sigh. She has been trying for years now to break her friend of his habit of staying up for days at a time. This is probably why she found herself so easily distracted by his sleeping schedule. Pepper was one of Tony’s best friends and she worried about his health daily.

“Long enough to need to go back to sleep, so, if you would excuse me, I’ll be getting back to that,” Tony mumbled into his pillow.

“No! You have to wake up right now, Tony! If my father’s men catch you here I don’t know what they will do!” Pepper was practically shaking Tony by the shoulders at this point. Pepper’s father was the Overseer, in charge of everyone and everything in the vault.

Tony realized that there was no way he would be getting back to sleep anytime soon. “You know by now I’m not scared of them. What did they catch me doing this time?”

“This isn't about anything you've done, Tony! And you better start being afraid; I just saw them beat Dr. Erskine over and over until he died!” Pepper’s face was beginning to turn red with frustration as she blurted out everything in one breath. “So just shut up and listen to me!”

“Shutting up and listening.” Tony was wide awake now and got out of bed. He didn't know Erskine very well but he did know his father worked with him a lot.

“Finally,” Pepper sighed in relief. “This all started with your dad. He escaped from the vault somehow. Erskine must have helped him escape and when my dad found out, he went crazy. You have to get out of here too! They somehow think you’re a part of this and they won’t listen to me!”

“I’m still sleeping, right? Initiate protocol for ending nightmares? I mean, I know Howard is an asshole, but this is- pinch me or something, I’m still asleep.” At this point Pepper was used to Tony calling his dad by his first name. He never had a good relationship with his father. Since his mother had died in childbirth, Tony basically grew up fending for himself. Even though him and his dad barely ever spoke, it still surprised him that Howard wouldn't even tell him about something as big as leaving the vault.

“Unfortunately, this is all actually happening. We need to get you out of here now. Rhodey is waiting for you at the end of the hall; he fooled the guard into thinking you were in the lab to buy you some time. Hopefully there won’t be many of them for you to get by but Rhodey has some stuff for you in case you do run into one of the guards. There is a secret tunnel that leads directly from my father’s office to the exit. The plan is for you to hack the computer in the office to open it. Now get out of here already, before the guards find you!” Pepper was practically pushing him out the door at this point.

Tony was still in shock about the whole situation. Sixty seconds ago, he was dead asleep and one second ago, he realized he had to start running for his life. His mind began to kick into gear as he analyzed what was happening.

"Thanks Pep. I owe you big time."

"I'll put it on the list."

With that Tony was off. He ran out of his room, then down the long corridor, his eyes frantically searching for Rhodey. The sound of the alarm began to resonate throughout the hall, making Tony see just how serious this all was. He tripped over something, and looking back revealed that the offending object was the corpse of a radroach. After the war, many creatures changed due to the radiation they were exposed to. For instance, there were giant cockroaches that roamed around. They were dubbed radroaches and could be very dangerous in numbers. Judging how many dead ones Tony could see down the hall, everyone was in a bad situation. They must have gotten in when Howard opened the vault door. Tony continued down the hallway and luckily didn't run into any live radroaches.

Near the end of the hall, Tony saw Rhodey motioning for him to hurry. Tony sprinted over to him without a second thought. Rhodey was actually the head of the guard and had been Tony’s close friend since childhood. At the age of 16, everyone would take a test called the GOAT, a personality test that would decide what job you would have in the vault in the future. Rhodey was over the moon when he got the news he would one day be the new head of the guard. Tony was not very surprised what his own results were. An inventor: like father, like son.

Behind Rhodey was one of Tony’s earliest creations, a robot named DUM-E. Tony will never forget when on his 10th birthday DUM-E attempted to cut his cake and ended up destroying the innocent and incredibly delicious treat. That was the same day Tony got his Pip-Boy 3000. Everyone in the vault got one at the age of 10. It went around a person’s wrist and told them almost anything they needed to know. Well- that is, almost everything. It had no answer as to how to fix DUM-E. Right now the robot was using his flamethrower on the radroaches that were still alive and yelling something about toast. Tony couldn't help but smile at that, despite his current predicament.

“Took you long enough, Tones. Here, take this.” Rhodey passed Tony a 10mm pistol and some bullets.

“Wow, okay. You know I've only ever used a BB gun, right? And, even still, I almost managed to kill myself with it anyway!” Tony was incredulous; he couldn't believe that Rhodey would ever trust him with a gun.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures. I know you at least know how to use it, even if you can’t use it well. Now hurry up and get out of here. The rest of the guard has probably realized you’re not in your lab by now.” As he said this, he took off his uniform helmet and put it on Tony’s head. It would at least give him some protection. Hopefully.

“Sir, yes, sir!” Tony said giving a mock salute. “See you around, Rhodey.” Tony realized that since he was leaving the vault he would probably never see his two friends again. He has never been good at goodbyes so he left it at that and with a nod ran off to find the Overseer’s office. Rhodey watched him run off before going back to dealing with the radroach infestation with DUM-E.

The alarm was still going off, constantly setting Tony on edge. He tried his best to stay quiet while sprinting to the office as fast as he could. Unfortunately, he still managed to run into two members of the guard. As he turned the corner to the Overseer’s office, he heard someone shout and saw two guards standing over two bodies: vault goers. No wonder Pepper was so panicked. He recognized them from walking around the place but he didn't know their names. Tony must have squeaked in surprise because suddenly, the guards turned around.

“It’s him! Get him!”

As soon as they put up their guns, Tony started running. He ran back the way he came and hid behind one of the steel columns he had passed before. He remembered the gun Rhodey gave him and fumbled to get it out as he heard bullets whiz past him. With the gun firmly in hand he peaked his head out and started to shoot. Miraculously, he managed to hit one of the guards after his disastrous first shots. He felt guilt rising in chest as he watched the motionless body flop onto the ground. He buried his feelings and continued to shoot until he realized he needed to reload.

“This is not the same as a BB gun!” he growled in a frustrated voice as he attempted to reload the pistol. He heard the sound of footsteps and realized the guard must know he was having gun troubles. He even heard the guard howl in laughter at his stupid predicament.

Tony heard the steps just behind him as he finally got the gun reloaded. He closed his eyes and blindly shot at the guard thinking there was no way he could make it out of this alive. Later on, he acknowledged how stupid it was of him to close his eyes but, to be fair, Mr. Tony Stark has done plenty of stupid things over his lifetime.

Tony heard a groan of pain and a thud. He opened his eyes and saw the man squirming in a puddle of blood on the ground. He gagged at the sight and decided the best thing to do would be to run away from the nauseating scene and go to the Overseer’s office already. He made his way back to the corner and peeked around it first this time. The only thing there was the body of the other officer, an officer whose belt proudly displayed the same ammo Tony was using.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” he whispered to himself as he bent down and took the ammo off the belt. Touching the body gave him the chills but he managed to get twelve more bullets. God knows twelve bullets could be the difference between life and death. “Five minutes ago I was sleeping and now I’m taking bullets off a corpse. Wow, it’s been a big day.”

Tony finally opened the door to the office and when he saw no one else (corpse or otherwise), he shut the door behind him before making his way to the computer. Tony was a well known troublemaker and hacked computers all the time but the Overseer’s computer was a completely different level.

But then again this is Tony Stark we are talking about here.

So, of course, it took him little more than a minute to hack his way in and open the passageway to the vault door.

The floor around the Overseer’s desk began to lift up to reveal a staircase underneath it. Tony took off down the stairs and continued down the long hallway until he found what was, unmistakably, the exit to the vault. Unmistakable in that it was wide open and lights were going off everywhere. Tony heard shouts and the loud sound of people’s boots running behind him, and when he turned around saw at least 5 guards running down the hall towards him. Any hesitation that Tony may have had to leave the vault was gone.

As soon as he was out the door he began to start the procedure to close the large door and lock it from the outside. He heard them begin firing their guns at him but did not look up from what he was doing. His fingers flew over the keyboard as he frantically tried to get the door closed. Tony almost jumped for joy when he finally got the door to begin closing. If only it closed faster.

“Come on! Close already damn it!” The guards were nearly there now and he had to hide himself behind the door to avoid having some extraneous holes made in his person. He found himself closing his eyes again, fearing the worst. Then, there was a huge bang and afterwards everything was quiet except for a light buzzing noise that hung in the air.

Tony opened his eyes and realized the door had finally shut. He did it. He was safe and he was out of Vault 101.

That was also when he noticed an intense pain in his shoulder.

“Shit.” Tony winced when he touched his shoulder. When he pulled his hand back he saw blood covering his palm. He must have been shot at some point and failed to notice due to the adrenaline coursing through his veins. He ripped the sleeve of his vault uniform off and pressed it hard against the wound to hopefully stop the flow of blood from the wound. He finally looked around and took in his surroundings. He was in a cave; dark, but not quite pitch black as the entrance was not very far from where he was standing. He decided it was time to leave the cave and try to find help.

The first word that popped into his head when he exited the cave was dusty. The area was completely barren and dust hung in the air making it a bit hard to breathe. After living in the Vault his whole life it felt like the air was going to choke him, dry and infinitely different from what he’d grown used to. He could see the broken skeletons of what were once houses scattered between puddles of water that bubbled like toxic waste. Thinking on it, they probably were toxic. On the horizon he could see what looked like a fairly intact building and decided that he would start walking towards there. It seemed like the only place that he would find some people or supplies. At least it could be a place to stay and deal with his shoulder.

~~~

Steve Rogers was born very sickly into a world where only the fit survive. He lived in a settlement called Megaton with his mother, who was a nurse. His mother did all she could to keep her son healthy and Steve survived when everyone thought he would die within a few weeks of birth. Even with his mother’s care, it was still very unlikely that he would live past childhood.

But then a miracle happened in the form of a scientist.

Steve didn't remember much of this man except for his mustache and his pregnant wife. When Steve was 7 years old the man created a cure for Steve’s illness, making him truly healthy for the first time in his life. The scientist claimed that he owed Steve's mother since soon she would be helping his wife deliver her child. Unfortunately, the delivery did not go as planned.

It was 2 months after the scientist had given Steve the miracle cure for his sickness. As he began to feel stronger he started helping his mother as much as he could with her work. He usually would just be organizing the medical supplies but that day was different. Steve held on to the hand of the scientist’s wife and tried to calm her as the scientist and his mom frantically tried to save both her life and the baby’s. While the wife was giving birth, complications began to rise. Steve’s mother was determined to save her and the baby, especially after the man had saved her own child. Still, the woman’s life was slipping away. She squeezed his hand like a lifeline as Steve spoke calming words to her. Her face was red and she kept screaming in pain but her eyes showed she was truly grateful to have Steve there.

She started to calm and became quieter. It was completely silent except for the rapid beeping of the heart monitor. Then, the shrill cries of a baby rang out through the room.

The scientist was now holding it in his arms and was showing the child to his wife, who was now a mother.

“It’s a beautiful baby boy!” Steve’s mother told her and the woman smiled.

“Anthony.” She said through labored breaths. “His name is Anthony.”

Those were her last words. The labored breathing slowed until it stopped and the heart monitor held a single note. The next thing Steve knew, the man was placing the baby in Steve’s arms and the chaos of trying to resuscitate the woman began. His mother shouted for him to leave the room. She didn't want the children to be present for this. Steve did as he was told and took the crying boy into the other room. The noises of what was happening with the baby’s mother were drowned out by the baby crying in Steve’s ear.

The baby was small but definitely larger than Steve was when he was born. He was kicking his little legs and screaming as tears ran down his puffy cheeks. Steve grimaced as the baby continued his antics and almost gagged when realized the baby hadn't even been cleaned yet. Steve sat down with the baby on a chair and tried his best to calm him. He had seen babies his mother helped deliver a lot but never one this active.

“Hey, buddy. It’s ok.” Steve furrowed his eyebrows trying to remember the name given to the child moments before. “Anthony. There is no reason to cry, Anthony. Everything will be fine; don’t worry. If you’re scared I’ll take care of you. I promise.”

Anthony’s crying was now reduced to little whimpers and sniffles. For the first time, the baby opened his eyes and Steve noticed they were brown, just like the baby’s mother. He just was just looking at him now and Steve decided he would stay true to his word. He was going to protect Anthony.

Of course, that was the moment Anthony decided to reach up and pull Steve’s hair with as much strength the baby could muster.

That night the scientist left with his son Anthony. No one saw them leave and no one knew where they had gone.

~~~

“Don’t forget about the medical supplies. We’re running dangerously low and it’s radroach season.”

“I’ll try my best. I think there might be something in that old super duper mart. I’ll have to take care of the raiders though.” Steve said while getting ready to leave. Every few days he would go out into the wasteland to find supplies, which was very dangerous. The town relied on what he brought back though, and that’s what was important to him. ‘The wasteland’ was what they called anywhere outside of the cities and settlements that were scattered around. There was almost nothing living out there, and what little did thrive there would probably try to kill you. People they called raiders lived out there and they would kill anyone they came across outside of their group to get their possessions.

“I can get Clint or Natasha to go with you if you want.” Phil Coulson told him. Phil and a woman named Maria Hill took care of the town. Most people called Phil the mayor-- and Maria the sheriff-- when really they were just residents of the town. Phil just happened to take inventory of everything the town needed and would help people who had any problems while Maria dealt with any criminals around town.

“Nah, I should be fine. They were just out in the wasteland yesterday and they deserve a rest.” Steve finished with the final adjustments on his armor and started packing things he might need trying to pack as lightly as possible.

“Just be careful out there.” Phil said. Phil was not only the assumed mayor; he was also a shop owner. It was in his shop that Steve was getting everything together to leave. Phil sold anything someone might need and got his supply from Natasha and Clint. Clint was caught stealing something by Maria, but Phil decided that it would be more beneficial for Clint to work with him than sit in jail. Clint didn't seem to mind; in fact he actually began to enjoy working with Phil. One day Clint came back from the wasteland with someone else though. Natasha was a young woman that was originally a raider that somehow ended coming back to the town with Clint. They never explained why or how it happened and Phil figured he was better off not knowing. After a while Natasha started coming out of her shell more and more. Now there was never a dull moment with those two around, constantly bickering and bantering like siblings.

When the door opened Steve didn't bother looking up from what he was doing since the shop was a common place for people to go. He heard footsteps and the voice of a person beginning to converse with Phil. Steve couldn't shake the feeling that he recognized the voice, so he finally decided to stop packing and see who walked in. He didn't expect to look up to see Phil and the man that walked in looking at him. Steve raised a questioning eyebrow.

“You've grown up.”

“I’m sorry, do I know you?” Steve was honestly confused.

“I’m not surprised; you were pretty little when we met. I’m Howard Stark, scientist and inventor.” The man named Howard smirked.

It all started to click together for Steve. “Scientist...I think I do remember you actually. I was there when my mom helped with the delivery of your son.” Steve was excited to put a name to a face from long ago.

A strange expression passed over Howard’s face for a moment but was gone in an instant. “Yup, that’s me. I figured while I was popping in here for supplies, I’d see how you and your mom were doing. Phil over there told me you were here and I could hardly recognize you. Good to see what I did worked.”

“I don’t think I ever got to properly thank you for that.”

“Think nothing of it, I love a good challenge. Now, is your mom around? I should probably get some medical supplies before leaving, just in case.”

Steve’s smile faded. “My mom passed away a few years ago…. You could go to the town doctor, his name is Bruce Banner.”

“Shit, sorry. If I had known I wouldn't have brought it up.” Howard seemed genuinely sorry. It was the most genuine he had seen Howard since he walked in.

“It’s fine.” Steve felt horrible when his mother died, but he took any sadness and anger from the event and used it as fuel to do his best to help the town. Phil said he was acting too recklessly, though, especially since he lost his friend Bucky. They were out in the wasteland when the raiders got him. There was nothing Steve could do but he still blamed himself.

“Well, it was good to see you and that whatever I did back then kept you healthy, but I better get going. The trip to S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters will take at least three days and I need to get there ASAP.” S.H.I.E.L.D was a group of people whose objective was to keep humanity safe and thriving. Steve had always wanted to join them but had yet to make the journey. Staying out in the wasteland was dangerous for one night and longer than that just suicidal. It was surprising that Howard seemed like he was going all by himself. Phil and Maria were members of S.H.I.E.L.D and were sent to Megaton to protect the people of the town. It was much worse there before they came and straightened the place out.

Phil said that one day he would take Steve, Clint, and Natasha to their headquarters to be recruited if they wanted, but they could never find a good time to leave.

“I should be leaving now, too. I have to find some medical supplies for the town out in the wasteland.” Steve said. “Good luck out there.”

“You too, kiddo.” Howard shook Steve’s hand, took the supplies Phil put out for him, and left a bag of bottle caps—currency from before the nuclear war had been replaced long ago. Then, just as suddenly as Howard had appeared, he left. Steve almost couldn't believe that just happened and judging by Phil’s face, neither could he.

“Well...I’m all ready so I better go. I don’t want to get stuck in the wasteland during night time.” Steve rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and slung his bag over his shoulder.

“If you see any playboy magazines in that super duper mart, grab one for Clint. He’s been acting up lately and it will probably make him happy.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Tony meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to get out, I was having problems writing one of the parts. But, it's finally out now so please enjoy!

“Walking is stupid. Whoever invented walking should walk off a fucking cliff,” Tony wheezed as he made his way closer and closer to the building. He’d seen it, he just hadn’t realized just how far away he’d been from it.

The walk wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for his injured shoulder, the dust in the air, and the blistering heat. The visor on the front of his helmet kept the sun off his face and helped keep away the dust in the air. Tony made a mental note to thank Rhodey for the helmet, if he ever saw him again. 

As Tony got close to the building he could see the large letters on the front spelling out ‘Super Duper Mart’. He grimaced at the extremely uncreative name and briefly thought about not even going in because of it. That’s when he noticed a little circular robot floating in the air looking right at him. He immediately recognized it as an eyebot. 

Like most eyebots, this one had a little laser shooter component on its front and long antennas pointing back, making it look like a small satellite. Most eyebots would have speakers on the front and would play radio broadcasts or messages but this one was different. This one was equipped with a camera: a camera that was still pointed right at him. 

The eyebot was getting closer and Tony didn't even realize he was backing up until he tripped over something. The momentum from the fall caused his helmet to fly off as he landed on his back.

He lifted himself up on his elbows and saw that the eyebot now had its laser shooter pointing right at his head and charging up. In a panic the only thing Tony could think to do was put the helmet back on as if it would protect him from the laser. 

A shot was fired and Tony briefly thought the helmet had saved him him when he realised he was still alive. Then he saw the eyebot had exploded.

“How the hell-” 

“Go check the thing for some energy cells or something for our laser pistols.” A female voice said. Tony turned to see who had spoken but realised his view was blocked. He stood up, wincing in pain from his injured shoulder. 

“Hello,” Tony put on his most charming smile. “Any chance one of you knows how to treat a bullet wound?”

Now that he was standing he was able to get a good look at the people in front of him. Most of them had spiked hair that matched the metal spikes that adorned their leather armor. Their weapons didn't seem to be in very good condition but were held in a way that made him know these people knew exactly how to use them. Standing front and center was a woman with a dark purple mohawk and laser rifle. Tony noticed that hanging on her belt was a pair of severed hands. He was beginning to realise that interacting with the group may be a bad idea.

“Of course we know how to treat bullet wounds. Too bad it’s a whole lot more fun to make them then to fix them.” She smirked and pointed her laser rifle at Tony. 

Tony really needed to stop getting himself into these situations.

“Get down!” 

Tony reacted to the newcomer’s voice, not needing to be told twice. He dove back behind a car and heard the start of a fight break out. Curiosity getting the best of him, Tony peeked his head out from behind the car to see what was happening. He saw two of the people already on the ground and a man taking on the other four, including the purple-haired woman Tony assumed was the leader. 

The man was fighting with hand to hand combat mostly, occasionally using the pistol he had as well. He also took the weapons the attackers had, using their own weapons against them. Tony found himself unable to look away as he took out three more people. All that was left now was the leader. He had knocked the laser rifle out of her hands and now she was attacking him with a knife. 

Tony was snapped out of his reverie when she knocked the man down and attempted to stab him. He was pushing her hands with the knife away but it was getting closer and closer to his neck. 

That’s when Tony remembered the pistol Rhodey had given him. He fumbled around getting it out and pointed it at the woman, aiming it to the best of his abilities. He fired five times before the leader’s body fell and the man was looking in Tony’s direction, surprised. 

When the man got up Tony finally got a good look at him. He had a dark blue combat helmet on his head with the letter A painted on it in white. The letter seemed faded and there were parts where the paint had chipped off, suggesting the helmet was pretty old. He wore motorcycle goggles to protect his eyes from the dust and sand. The man had a strong jaw and his leather armor left little to imagination. Needless to say, if Tony wasn't already on the ground there was a chance he would have swooned. Maybe. Probably. 

“Are you crazy? You would have been killed!” the man’s voice shook Tony out of his thoughts. He was surprised that the man actually seemed concerned. Especially since the only ones that had ever cared about Tony’s wellbeing before were Pepper and Rhodey. He didn't even know this guy and he seemed actually angry that Tony put himself in danger.

“But I wasn't,” Tony pointed out. That only seemed to make the man angrier.

“That’s because you were lucky I was here.” The stranger was getting more worked up. “ I almost got killed risking my neck trying to save you because you decided to walk right up to some raiders with no armor and try to talk to them!”

“But you weren't,” Tony stood up and was beginning to get annoyed at this guy. He hoped that when he stood up he would be able to look a bit intimidating but unfortunately the man who had rescued him was much taller. “What even are raiders?”

The man looked surprised and confused at this. “What are- have you ever been in the wasteland?” 

“As a matter of fact, no I have not. So if you could point me out to the nearest sign of civilization so we can part as unlikely friends that would be great.”

“You’ll get yourself killed out there alone if you don’t know the area. I’m heading back to town once I’m done here. I’ll take you there.”

“How do I know you won’t try to kill me, too?”

“You happily waltzed up to a group of raiders with no problem but you question the guy who just saved you.”

“When you say it like that it does sound like flawed logic.”

“It does, doesn't it,” the man said with a hint of a smile. It disappeared when he caught sight of Tony’s shoulder. “What happened there?”

“It’s a long story, so let’s just get whatever you need to done and get the fuck out of here.” 

The man seemed like he had more questions for Tony but decided to save them for another time. “Fine, but you’re staying out here while I deal with the raiders inside. I’m going to be picking up some medical supplies in there so I’ll do whatever I can for your shoulder before we leave.”

“I’m going in, too.” 

“No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I am,” Tony stated. “If these raider people are as dangerous as you think they are then you are going on a suicide mission and I am not going to sit here and wait for your ghost to haunt my ass for letting you go in alone.”

“You’ll get yourself killed.”

“Hey, let’s not forget who stopped that crazy chick from stabbing you in the throat.”

“Alright, fine! You can come with me but stay close. There’s going to be way more raiders in there than there was out here,” the man said with a sigh. “My name is Steve, by the way.”

Steve held his hand out but Tony refused to shake it. He was never one for shaking hands, especially with people he just met. Who knows where their hands could have been. So, he simply responded with, “I’m Tony.”

Steve committed the name to memory but didn't really think anything of it. He hadn't even seen this man’s face yet because the face mask of the helmet he was wearing obscured it. Steve put his hand down when he realized Tony wasn't going to shake it. Something about this man just set him off. Normally Steve kept himself very level headed in this kind of situation, but the lack of care this ‘Tony’ guy seemed to have towards absolutely everything was simply infuriating. 

“Let’s get this over with,” Steve mumbled, heading to the door. He crouched down and peeked through the door. Once he saw the coast was clear he turned to Tony crouched behind him. “As soon as they see us, this is going to get a bit crazy, so once we’re in there I want you to hide behind the wooden boxes to the left and shoot them from there. I’ll try my best to distract them.”

“You’ll need this, too,” Steve passed Tony a grenade.

“First of all, I don’t even know how to use this.” Tony whispered. “Second of all, what happened to staying close to you while we’re in there?”

“Just pull the pin out and throw it at the raiders. You’ll be safer out of the way.”

“Why do you even care if I’m safe or not? You don’t even know me.” 

“I've cared since I stopped those raiders from shooting you before. Now be quiet and let’s go,” Steve said in a hushed voice that left no room for argument before opening the door and sneaking in. 

Tony was surprised by Steve’s answer to say the least. He wasn't used to people caring about his well being. Now this complete stranger was going out of his way to make sure he’s safe even when Tony was almost certain that Steve hated his guts. Tony decided to stop thinking about it and follow him into the store. 

Once he was in, Steve pointed to a large pile of wooden supply crates in the corner. Tony gave a thumbs up and his patent smirk before sneaking over to hide behind them. Steve rolled his eyes but had a hint of a smile on his lips, going to hide behind a vending machine, trying to figure out how many raiders were in the building. 

He could see two raiders walking around on top of the shelves and another on the ground, patrolling the aisles. It looked like they were supposed to be guarding the place but the two on the shelves were currently distracted with trying to kick empty tin cans at the one on the ground and then laughing when they hit him. 

There was no way to know how many could be in the back of the store and that worried Steve. Hopefully, Tony would be able to put that grenade to good use. Steve knew that the moment he fired his first shot things would erupt into chaos. He took a deep breath before taking out his gun and aiming it at one of the raiders. Two shots rang out and the lifeless body of one of the raiders fell from the top of the shelves. 

The other two raiders began shouting and more came to their aid. Steve heard some gunshots and saw the other raider from the shelves fall from his post. Steve turned and saw Tony smirking at him waving the gun to prove a point. He frowned worried that Tony may have just unknowingly given away his hiding spot by firing his gun. That meant it was time for Steve to distract the raiders. 

Steve came out of his hiding spot shooting. The element of surprise was still his as he began aiming at the raiders that had guns. Most of the raiders in the building had various melee weapons, but those few with guns really knew how to use them. 

Once the shock of Steve coming out of the hiding spot wore down, the raiders became more accurate with their shots, and the others started to run towards Steve. Once they reached him he started using hand to hand combat like he usually would, and occasionally used his own pistol or the enemy’s weapon against them. 

The raiders with guns continued shooting at him from a distance while Steve used the other raiders for cover. The group around him began to thin as he took out more raiders and he became more exposed to the guns. 

Tony had been watching all of this in shock. He knew Steve must have been a good fighter, since he took out those raiders outside, but actually seeing him in action was still amazing. Tony was snapped out of his thoughts when he realized the raiders with ranged weapons were becoming more and more of a threat. He decided that with the gunmen all standing near each other it was time to use that grenade.

“Alright. This can’t be that hard. It’s probably just like throwing a baseball. A baseball that explodes and kills people.” Tony mumbled to himself as he fumbled to pull the pin out of the grenade. As soon as he got it out he threw it, not knowing when it was going to go off.

Unfortunately, Tony was never good at sports-- like baseball-- and the grenade did not get as far as he had hoped. With all the chaos going on, no one noticed the grenade. Even with the atrocious throw that Tony had made, the explosion managed to take out a few raiders due to the fact that none of them had run from the grenade. He let out a cheer in excitement that he actually managed to hit any of his enemies. 

His excitement was gone when he realized that some of the raiders had heard his gleeful whoop and were looking right at him.

“Oops,” was all Tony was able to say before bullets started heading his way. He hid back behind the crates and got his gun out. He didn't have many bullets left but he hoped it would be enough to hold back his attackers. 

When Steve realized Tony had blown his cover he began to wonder if the guy was suicidal. He was almost done with all the raiders nearest to him but there was still little he could do to keep the other raiders from shooting at Tony. It seemed like Tony wasn't that bad at fending for himself, though. By the time Steve finished off the raiders that were attacking him, Tony had killed three of the original five that were attacking him. 

Steve finished off the raiders attacking Tony using his own gun and then the battle was over. Even though it was quiet now, his ears still buzzing from the loud crack of gunfire that had been reverberating around the building. He saw Tony poke his head out from behind the crates and Steve went over to see if he was ok.

“Next time try not to give away your hiding place. Did you get hurt?” 

“My shoulder is hurting worse than before but I’ll live. Anyway, you’re the one that looks like he just got hit by a car,” Tony said, holding onto his shoulder to try to ease the pain. Steve was covered in cuts and bruises and had a deep gash on his forehead. It hadn't been easy to fight off that many raiders, after all. 

“It looks worse than it is. Let’s just find the medical supplies and get out of here,” Steve assured. In reality he felt pretty dizzy from his head injury, but there was no way he would admit that to Tony. 

“If you say so.”

Tony didn't seem to believe him but didn't press the matter. The two made their way to the back of the store where there was a large sign that read ‘PHARMACY’ in flaking red painted letters. Steve jumped over the service counter with ease to where he hoped to find some medical supplies. He turned around to see if Tony needed any help over the counter just in time to see the man struggling to get over, then fall to the floor in a tangle of limbs. Steve couldn't help laughing even as Tony sent a glare his way. Tony stood up and brushed the dirt off himself, scowling at Steve and blushing from embarrassment under his helmet. Somehow he couldn't help but think Steve had a nice laugh. It made him seem more human rather than some sort of wind up soldier toy. 

“You done yet?” Tony crossed his arms.

“Yeah, sorry,” Steve was still smiling but his laughing had died down. “Is your shoulder ok?”

“Yeah,” Toy was surprised he asked still not believing that Steve actually cared. “It wasn't that big of a fall.”

“You say that now, but once your adrenaline rush goes away it’s going to hurt like hell,” Steve spoke,obviously from experience. “Let’s get the medical supplies so we can patch you up before that happens.”

They began by looking through the pharmacy shelves to hopefully find some supplies the raiders had not. Tony picked various containers off the shelves, shaking them to see if they still contained anything. As each one turned out to be empty he would toss it over his shoulder and move on, Steve’s eye twitching every time an empty bottle would clank and clatter along the floor. Steve himself found a few bottles of water, but that was all they has found of any value. That was, until Tony stopped in front of a door he found. 

“What about in here?” he asked.

“I already checked that door, it’s locked. I can’t pick it and I couldn't find a key or a password for the computer terminal to unlock it.” 

Tony smirked and cracked his knuckles, his excitement obvious from posture. “Well then, prepare to be amazed.”

Tony made quick work of the computer terminal and managed to hack his way in pretty easily. It was no different than the ones he hacked back inside of Vault 101. It didn't even take Tony a full minute to get the door open. He smiled triumphantly when he saw Steve’s shocked expression.

“How did you do that?”

“A magician never reveals his secrets,” Tony said with a wiggle of his fingers before walking into the room proudly. 

Luckily, it seemed like the raiders were also never able to get into the room, and the medical supplies contained within it remained untouched. Steve took the backpack he had off of his shoulders and began to fill it with anything he deemed even remotely useful other than some disinfectant and gauze bandages that he left out to work on Tony’s shoulder.

“So why exactly do you need all these medical supplies?” Tony asked, watching Steve sort through everything. 

“The town I live in counts on me to get food and supplies for them. Right now we are running very low on medical supplies so I came here.” he explained as he finished filling up his backpack. 

“You’re the only one that does that?”

“No, there is a group of us that will go out into the wasteland to collect things for the town. Mostly its my thr- two friends and I,” Steve mentally cursed to himself for his slip up. He still wasn't used to the fact that Bucky wasn't around anymore. Luckily, Tony seemed to have not heard. Steve zipped up the backpack and took the things he left out and put them on a nearby metal table. “Sit over here and I can start fixing up your shoulder.”

Tony walked over and took off his helmet, placing it on the table. He unzipped the top of his Vault 101 jumpsuit and shrugged out of the top of it before taking off his undershirt. This way Steve could bandage up his shoulder better. When Tony looked up he saw Steve staring at him in shock.

“What? Am I too beautiful for your pathetic mortal mind to comprehend?” Tony smirked and ran a hand through his hair in attempts to make it slightly less helmet-shaped.

Meanwhile, everything seemed to click in Steve’s head. Tony’s vault 101 jumpsuit, his ease with the computer, his resemblance to Howard, and his brown eyes. This was the baby, this was Anthony Stark.

“Seriously, are you ok? Is that head wound getting to you?” Tony was staring at Steve in confusion.

“This is going to sound really strange, but are you Howard Stark’s son?”

Tony’s shocked look confirmed Steve’s suspicion. 

“How do you know him? Do you know where he is?” Tony questioned and started putting his shirt back on as though they were going to leave right that moment to find his dad. 

“I’ll answer your questions but you have to let me treat your shoulder wound first.” Steve reasoned. Tony reluctantly complied, putting his undershirt down and sitting on a stool. Steve started by looking at the wound to see if the bullet was still there or not.

“You’re lucky. There is a clean exit wound so it looks like the bullet isn't in there. I’ll just disinfect it and bandage it up. The bleeding has mostly stopped, but our town doctor can give you stitches just in case.” Steve noticed that Tony wasn't really paying attention to him as he explained everything. He seemed to be in deep thought. “I’m going to put on the disinfectant. This is going to sting.”

“Just get it over with.”

Steve started disinfecting it and wasn't surprised that Tony only reacted with a small wince. He figured Tony must have a high pain tolerance since he has been running around with a bullet wound and didn't even seem to care. What did surprise him was how quiet Tony was being. Tony had been non-stop snark since he met him but now he just seemed like he was in his own little world. 

Tony was thinking about everything that had been happening today but found himself distracted when he realized this was the first time he had gotten a good look at Steve’s face. He was handsome, that was for sure, even after the cuts and bruises from the fight. Steve had taken off his goggles when he started working on Tony’s shoulder and put them to the side with his helmet that had been knocked off during the fight resulting in the cut on his forehead. Because the goggles were off Tony was able to see Steve’s eyes which were shockingly blue. For some reason Steve felt almost familiar, as weird as it sounded. Something about him made Tony feel almost...safe.

“Ok you’re done,” Steve said, snapping Tony out of his thoughts. “Once you get dressed we can head back to Megaton and i’ll answer your questions on the way.

“Aren't you going to do something about that cut on your head?” Tony asked as he started getting ready to go. Steve looked at him, surprised that he cared enough to bring it up. 

“I’ll be okay. I’ll have Bruce take a look at it when we get back though.” 

“I can bandage it up no problem. I got all kinds of cuts and burns working on my various projects. I can bandage a simple cut no problem and you can answer my questions while I do it.” Tony said pushing back his sleeves. 

“Alright…” Steve sat down in the stool now so Tony would be able to reach his forehead better. He was a bit worried about letting someone he just met help him with his injury but he realised Tony had trusted him to so it was only fair that he trusted Tony. 

“So, most importantly, do you know where Howard is?” Tony asked as he started to tend to the cut. 

“He showed up in Megaton right before I left to come here. He was getting supplies and mentioned he was going to SHIELD.” 

“SHIELD?” Tony raised an eyebrow in question.

“SHIELD basically is an organization that is doing it’s best to keep everyone safe. The wasteland is crawling with horrible things and they try to keep all the cities and settlements safe from the dangers of the outside. There are people from SHIELD in almost every town but their actually base is pretty far from here. They hold some of the best pre-war technology, which is the reason I’m sure your dad is going there.”

“How did you meet him anyway?” Tony asked as he finished tending to Steve’s wound. He figured that they had only met today which made him curious as to why his dad would tell someone he just met where he was going.

“I met your parents when I was-”

“My parents!? As in plural? That's impossible, my mom died when she had me.” Tony was almost yelling at this point. 

Steve stood up and put his hands out trying to calm Tony. “They showed up in Megaton when I was little. Your dad actually helped come up for a cure for the sickness I had when I was young.” 

“You’re lying, there is no way they could have been there. They were born in the vault, I was born in the vault!”

“Tony… You were born in Megaton…”

“How would you even know!?”

“I was there.”

Tony had heard enough. He grabbed his helmet and put it on his head before storming out. Rationally, he knew that Steve was telling the truth, it was written all over his face that he wasn't lying.. Tony just couldn't deal with what he was saying and when he felt like that, Tony had a tendency to run from the problem. His dad had barely talked to him and now Tony realized that most of what his dad did say to him were lies.

“Tony, wait!” Steve grabbed his goggles, helmet, and the medical supplies before running after Tony. 

Tony was already outside and Steve walked out just in time to see Tony trip on a large piece of metal. Tony hadn't exactly been watching where he was going. 

“Tony, you can’t run off like that.” Steve said, running over to help him up. “Believe what I said or don’t believe it, I don’t care. The fact is that you can’t survive on your own out here, so at least let me bring you back to…” Steve was distracted once he saw the piece of metal. He leaned down and picked it up. “This eyebot...what happened?”

“When I got here it tried to shoot me but the raiders got it before it had the chance.” Tony said surprised by the subject change.

“We have to get you back to Megaton. Now.”

“Why?” Tony asked. Steve passed him the piece of the eyebot. On it Tony saw a symbol of what looked like a skull with tentacles coming out from underneath it.

“Hydra.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment and kudos! It keeps me writing <3

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah that's the first chapter.  
> I'll be throwing in more characters soon don't worry, I just wanted to start off focusing on Steve and Tony.  
> Please comment and kudos <3 It keeps me writing


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